Abbasi talks Saarc Summit with Nepal

KATHMANDU: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi sought Nepal’s support for efforts to host the much-delayed Saarc Summit in Islamabad during his meeting with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli, according to officials who participated in the talks.

Abbasi told Oli on Monday that Pakistan is for the “early hosting of the 19th Saarc Summit”, the officials said. He also called on Nepal to play its role to make this “happen in the near future”.

He said it would not be acceptable to Pakistan for the summit to be held at some other venue, according to the officials.

Nepal is the current chair of the regional grouping. Pakistan was to host the summit in 2016 but it was cancelled when India pulled out over a string of crossborder terror attacks blamed on Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also decided to stay away from the summit over the cross-border terror attacks.

In an apparent reference to India, Abbasi said during a meeting with President Bidhya Devi Bhandari that issues between any two countries in the region should not affect the activities of Saarc. He emphasised the need to make Saarc more effective.

Addressing an event at the Saarc Secretariat in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Abbasi also said Pakistan has undivided belief in the grouping’s objectives, ideologies and principles, and is fully committed to its charter.

Stating that a peaceful environment is an imperative for regional development and prosperity, he pledged his support for peace and economic progress through Saarc.

Abbasi, who wrapped up his two-day visit on Tuesday, also discussed the China-pakistan Economic Corridor with Oli. He told Oli about how Pakistan is benefiting from the connectivity project, which he said would be a game changer for South Asia.

Abbasi held talks with senior Nepali leaders on a range of regional and bilateral issues since his arrival in Kathmandu on Monday.